Patna: The fog was very dense over Bihar on Saturday morning, allowing just 25m of visibility in Bhagalpur and 50m in Patna, among the lowest in the country, but the cold was not as severe as it had been over the past few weeks.

Maximum temperatures at Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea were 18.2°C, 26.1°C, 18.6°C and 19.4°C, respectively, while the minimum temperatures were 8.2°C, 7.4°C, 4.8°C and 7.3°C, respectively.

However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the weather is trying to trick people by lulling them into a cosy comfort and would then whiplash them with freezing temperatures.

The see-saw by the weather will be a result of the present western disturbance over north Pakistan and adjoining Jammu and Kashmir, which is likely to move northeastwards over the next two days. There are chances of scattered rainfall and isolated hailstorms between January 22 and 24.

"Our forecast is that the minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to rise and fall significantly in association with the movement of the western disturbance during the next five days. Dense fog is likely to persist over Bihar and sub-Himalayan Bengal during the next four days," an IMD scientist said.

Officials said the rise in minimum and maximum temperatures could be to the tune of 3°C to 5°C, while the drop in temperatures afterwards will be between 2°C and 4°C.

There are warnings about day cold and cold wave at different places in the state on January 21 (Sunday) and 22 (Monday). With schools closed till January 22 due to the weekend followed by Saraswati Puja, the students will not have to suffer much by the changes in weather, but their parents are still a worried lot.

"It has been an abnormally long spell of cold during this winter and has been harsh on the children and the elderly people. My only daughter studies in Class III and I can see her shivering whenever she goes outside for even two minutes. We have kept her packed inside the house. I don't know what we will do if her classes resume from January 23 and the severe chill is still there," said Poonam Srivastava, a homemaker residing at East Boring Canal Road in Patna.